


Tradeoff

by summerprincess (notjustalittlegirl)



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Rose is in love, Sam has no idea, Sonny is a good friend, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 16:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20028739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustalittlegirl/pseuds/summerprincess
Summary: She's Rose Lavelle, bronze ball winner, household name, and there's nothing she can't have.Except the most important thing.





	Tradeoff

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a brain dump for me. I was going to have Rose be in love with Pinoe, but then I watched the video where they take the BFF quiz, (which is so adorable by the way and everyone should [watch it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BSLpKISVU0) if they haven't already, then watch [Part two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRgkvJCfBEo)!) and I was like fuck it, I'll have her be in love with Sam. The relationship, however, is kind of based on me and the girl I was dead in love with my senior year of high school. We were really good friends, but I was so whipped for her. She knew, and she was so sweet about it, but I still hid from her because I didn't want her to feel obligated to try and make me feel better when she really just wanted to hang out with her girlfriend, who is just the sweetest person honestly. 
> 
> Sorry, y'all didn't need to hear my angst... 
> 
> Anyway, normal disclaimers apply: I don't know these women in real life, and if you know or are them, you should probably skip this one. No one would fucking pay me for this, so obviously I am not making any money.
> 
> Sorry, Rose. I guess I'm just torturing her because she's a Wisconsin girl and so am I. Go Badgers! You will also notice that I am very shitty at titling things.

It was quite something, to be Rose Lavelle. After the World Cup, she had become a household name. She was recognized, admired. Her career was rising rapidly, and her world seemed limitless. Really, there was almost nothing she couldn't do, couldn't have. 

Except one thing. 

Her friend's long arm wrapped around her shoulders, raising the other arm in the air in celebration as they waved to the media. It was a hot, sticky day, and they were both already sweating, but Rose couldn't bring herself to even want to pull away. There was only so much time that she could spend in Sam's arms, and she was going to savor every moment. People in the crowd were screaming for them, cheering, yelling their names in excitement. All twenty three of them. 

Rose waved back, almost robotically, but the smile on her face was genuine. She snatched Sam's hand, and raised their entwined fingers up in the air in a sign of victory. Sam whooped, and the parade continued on. 

When they were finally back at their hotel, away from the heat and the crowd and the noise, Rose and Sam sat on the couch in their shared room, with the former's head leaned on the latter's shoulder. 

"That was a lot." 

"Did you hear them, Rose? They love you." 

Rose didn't respond. It was true, she guessed. There had been more shouts for her than for many of the others. It had been strange, hearing her name on the lips of the crowd along with Alex's, Pinoe's and Carli's. Surreal, almost. But she only realized how much they had actually been cheering for her when Sam brought it up. She had been so focused on the feeling of Sam's body next to hers, their hands clasped and their sweat mingling in a way that should have been uncomfortable on a hot day but was instead, for lack of other words, blissful. 

If Rose could have traded the love of those thousands of people who didn't know her for the love of just one who did, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second. 

When Rose had been silent for a moment, not responding to her best friend's comment, Sam laughed and ran a hand through the shorter woman's hair. 

"Aww, Rosie. You that tired?" 

Rose savored the feeling of Sam's long fingers running through her bun, shutting her eyes, which inadvertently confirmed Sam's theory on her silence. 

"Yep. Tired." 

Sam maneuvered her arms so that she could hoist Rose up into them and carry her towards one of the beds. Rose looked small in Sam's arms, the other woman practically dwarfing her shorter friend as she carried her without a hint of difficulty. 

Sam's arms around her body almost made Rose shiver, for a reason that had nothing to do with the cool setting of the air conditioning. The walk over to the bed was only a few steps, but Rose wished that it could last forever. Unfortunately, it was over before it started, and Sam deposited her friend on top of the covers, sliding one of the pillows underneath her head. 

"Take a nap, Rosie. You look like you need it." 

If Rose had opened her eyes, she would have seen the fond look that Sam gave her before turning towards the bathroom. 

"Pat's taking me out for dinner- I'll be back later- plenty of time for wine and a movie." 

As the bathroom door shut behind Sam, Rose sighed, reaching over and pulling one of the other pillows on the bed towards her and clutching it to her chest. 

It wasn't like she didn't like Pat. Really, he was a great husband, sweet and attentive, and the smile he brought to Sam's face was brilliant, lighting up whatever room they graced. He was even nice to her, giving her hugs and never complaining whenever she and Sam were able to have girls' nights. 

Pat was a good man, but the very mention of his name made a fist clench around Rose's heart. She had to bite her lip to keep from whimpering quietly. 

Sam emerged from the bathroom, with her hair up in a high ponytail and face sparkling. She had on almost no makeup, except some mascara and lipstick. Gone was her World Champions shirt, replaced with a flowery sundress and low heels. 

She looked beautiful, but all Rose had time for was a brief look before she turned her face back into the pillow. There was no way she was going to let Sam see the tears that had begun to leak out of the corners of her eyes, because she knew, she _knew, _that Sam wouldn't hesitate to text Pat, to delay their date until she had figured out what was wrong with her best friend and fixed it. 

"Bye, Rosie. Have a good nap." 

Rose pretended that she was asleep until she heard the door close behind her friend, then she sat up, pulling the pillow to her chest and letting the angry, sad tears escape. 

She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep crying whenever Sam went out with Pat, she couldn't cry every time she thought about her beautiful _straight, married, _best friend. 

A tap on her door made Rose turn towards the source of the noise, debating whether or not to open it. It clearly wasn't Sam- she had her own key. It was too early for any of her teammates to be knocking to ask her if she wanted to go clubbing with them. 

"Rose?" 

Her shoulders relaxed, and she got up to let her friend in, dragging the pillow behind her. 

When Rose swung the door open, there was Emily. 

She was still wearing her Champions shirt, and her hair was up in a messy bun. She took a step into Rose's room, then wrapped her arms around her friend in a quick hug. 

"I was walking to the vending machine- don't tell Jill!- and I ran into Sam. You good, baby?" 

Rose shrugged, burying her face into Emily's shoulder. The tears were still dripping slowly from her eyes, onto the fabric of Emily's shirt. 

Her friend's arms wrapped around her more tightly, moving them to the chair that she had occupied only a bit earlier with Sam. Emily's hands stroked gently through Rose's hair, letting the superstar's tears dampen her shoulder. 

"It's okay, Rose. Let it out, it'll be okay." 

Rose sobbed, trying to get words out of her mouth along with the tears and snot coming out of her eyes and nose. 

"I j-just, I l-love her so m-much, Em." 

"I know, Rosie. I know, it's going to be okay." 

Yes, she was Rose Lavelle, newly minted superstar of U.S. soccer. But, as she sobbed in Emily's arms, thoughts of Sam dancing through her head, she knew beyond a doubt that none of that mattered. She would give up everything: fame, titles, even soccer, if she could fall asleep in Sam Mewis's arms every night for the rest of her life. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was that. 1100+ words of angst. I hope you enjoyed! If there are any super obvious mistakes that I didn't catch, please don't hesitate to point them out in the comments!


End file.
